Muffled
by ii Digestive Reader ii
Summary: Disability. Chronic Illness. Mental Health. In a Galaxy Far Far Away, these still exist. Why wouldn't they? It's not like these occurrences are muffled by society in any way...right?
1. Muffled

Muffled

* * *

"Duchess? Duchess Kryze?"

To everyone else, the voice rather loud. Firm, but kind. The room was quiet, save for some murmurs.

To her, it was rather muffled. Unfocused and not wavering in tone.

She glanced upwards from the flimsi spread around her to the person whom had spoken - or, the general direction she thought she heard the voice.

"Hmm?"

A little to the left, one of her cousins stood towards the back of the large council chamber. He caught her attention, making rapid hand signs while indicating who had spoken.

Her gaze flicked from her cousin to the person whom had spoken - Prime Minister Almec, of all people. It was impossible not to notice a few people roll their eyes. To have a pacifist leader they barely tolerated was one thing. To have a profoundly deaf, pacifist leader was different.

Satine tucked her hands beneath her chin, cocking an eyebrow. "You're suggesting we use pirates to supply our system during this recession?"

Prime Minister Almec scoffed. "Our people are starving, Your Grace - "

She read his lips, then rolled her eyes.

One of her advisors raised their hand to indicate to Satine who was speaking. "Didn't some of the clans on the edge of the system agree to send supplies? Why do we not wait for them?"

Satine flicked her gaze to the translator briefly before looking at her Prime Minister. "Five clans, in fact...are you perhaps suggesting they used the black market or pirates to obtain the goods Almec?"

It was a low blow, to refer to him by his first name - and everyone knew it.

Satine rolled her eyes when he tried to speak, holding up her hand. "Please. Even without my hearing aids you're giving me a headache - we'll wait for the supplies to come in. I don't like it either, but we can wait a week or two."

* * *

_Author's note: I tossed this on Tumblr a few weeks at its-captain-sir (formally jedi-master-megan) request_

_I really loved this prompt and I'm slowly considering making it a short series of Satine (and maybe others) being disabled in some way._

_As always, your fellow disabled writer :D_

_ii Digestive Reader ii_


	2. Eyesight

Eyesight

* * *

"Do you know what - are you wearing glasses?"

Obi-Wan glanced upwards from his datapad, squinting a moment before forgetting he didn't have too. "Mmm hmm - I had eye correction surgery as a kid - it only lasts thirty...years."

He raised his eyebrows when Satine strode over and settled on his lap, pushing her hands over his shoulders.

"My house colors too?..." Satine bent and nudged her nose against his neck. "You should wear glasses more often."

Chuckling, Obi-Wan put the datapad beside the couch and wrapped his arms around her. "Nice to see you too."

She leaned her head against his shoulder and gave a sigh. "I haven't seen you in four days - I missed you."

"How was it?"

"Fine - this war Ben - it's not heading anywhere. People leave the Republic, join the Separatists, leave the Separatists and join the Neutral - it becomes a never-ending cycle of slaughter."

"The Republic approved a new medical station." Obi-Wan pushed his glasses up his nose before sliding his hands over her sides. "Council contacted me - wants me to convince you to allow it to orbit in Mandalorian space."

"Another one? My people would murder me for real this time."

"Tried to tell them that - they want a medical station."

"Everything is militarized, given time - "

"Given who's in charge."

She gave a groan. "The Neutral Systems want to force embargos on Separatist and Republic systems."

"That'll put targets on your back - "

"There's too many targets on my back - what's one more? I cannot please everyone."

"Mmm…Palpatine will find any excuse to try and sway the Neutral Systems into having a medical station here."

"Thank goodness a decision like that is in your hands." Obi-Wan tilted her chin up when he felt her grimace. He blinked a few times, feeling some pressure behind his eyes. Glasses were not something he was used too. "No one will fault you for choosing to say no to this."

"It'll make the Neutral and Separatists happy." Satine grumbled. "Obi, we need Republic support - they could very well deny us goods, medical supplies, food, raw materials - things we desperately need. The war will come to us...more than it has."

"Put it up to the people's vote - "

"We're not a democracy - "

"But this is something people vote on Tina."

Satine thought for a moment, biting her lip before nodding. "Yeah... you're right."

"Aren't I always?" he murmured with a wink.

Satine leaned her head against his, then gave a giggle. "You look like an old man - here." She pulled the glasses from his face and set them on the table beside them. It was a little surprising she didn't mention how thick the lenses were. "There's the man I know - can you still see?"

"I could navigate your body blindfolded my dear." Obi-Wan grinned at the eyeroll he received - that he could see, everything else behind her was blurry. "But I need them back after we have sex."

"Obi - mmm." She tilted her head back, feeling his scruff scratching against her throat while he kissed the skin. A gasp left her while his hand pushed underneath her tunic and cupped her breast.

* * *

_Author's note: a lot of people don't see bad eyesight as a disability, but still - it does affect people's lives so ¯\\_(__ツ__)_/¯_

_Enjoy :)_

_ii Digestive Reader ii_


	3. Insomnia

Insomnia

* * *

The first time Cody realized his general slept like a normal, sentient being was when he heard a Holo-conversation late at night. General Kenobi slept less than the clones, and clones didn't need much sleep. It's how they were engineered. It was a little sick, honestly, how pushed to the limit the Jedi were.

He first thought it was some freaky Force thing, being able to stay awake for days on end.

However, Commander Tano could sleep for ten plus hours if you let her. Even General Skywalker could sleep alot if he downed a shitton of melatonin.

So anyway - there he was laying in the Command tent trying to sleep. Typically, top command slept in the same tent - so there was Skywalker curled in an impossibly tight ball on one pallet, Tano asleep and scrolling through her datapad, Rex fast asleep...and General Kenobi, with a comlink held tightly in his hand.

Cody kept his eyes halfway closed, pulling a small smirk when a tiny chime sounded and you-know-who popped up. H

_"Hello my dear. You look like bantha ran over you."_

Cody smirked. Trust the Duchess to insult and compliment someone in the same breath.

"I know you do not have much time," Obi-Wan whispered while signing in Mando'a. He ran a ran through his hair, which was grimy and full of blood from a head wound he had recieved in the day's battle."I just wanted to see you."

_"Can't sleep?"_

Obi-Wan gave a sheepish laugh, though he nodded. It was sweet, how vulnerable he looked in that moment. "Could we maybe - talk until I fall asleep?"

Cody watched the Duchess smile and give a nod.

_"Wanna talk about that book I sent you? About the Mando-Jettise Wars?" _she asked while signing.

_Nerds, _Cody thought while closing his eyes to the sound on their gentle conversation.

Some hours later, he woke to - something.

It was quiet in the tent - and outside, in the camp. He frowned, glancing around, one hand reaching for his blaster...

And then he realized that what had woken him was silence. General Kenobi was sleeping, curled on his pallet, snoring softly. The Hologram of the Duchess was still shining from his comlink positioned near his face, working at her desk.

Cody gave a small smirk, rolling over and drifting back to sleep.

* * *

_Author's note: I'm backkkkk_

_Enjoy Obi-Wan having insomnia_

_And yes, all these chapters will be companions in the same universe._

_ii Digestive Reader ii_


	4. Panic Attack

Panic Attack

* * *

It hadn't happened in several months, at least to his knowledge. It probably had, actually, but Anakin had become so distant (relying on a certain Senator from Naboo and the creep-tastic Chancellor).

Obi-Wan pushed through the camp, the clones parting like a sea when they saw their general - General of the Third Systems Army - stride past them. It was rare he worked with anyone but the 501st and the 212th. To have so many contingencies on one planet was disorienting.

_No shit_, Obi-Wan thought while he hurried to medical.

His former padawan was always a whirlwind in the Force.

Right now it felt like a hurricane.

Kix glanced at him, holding a needle in his hand and a petrified look on his normally calm face.

"Put that away," Obi-Wan muttered while he knelt to the ground. He knew from experience that giving an injection to his padawan to calm him down was a recipe for disaster.

"Anakin."

Anakin was pale, huddled into a corner, sweat dampening his hair and his eyes closed. There was a bucket between his legs, the smell of vomit rising from it. His eyes were closed, fingers tightening and loosening repetitively on the edges of the bucket.

Obi-Wan glanced between the exhausted medic who probably had better things to do and his panicking padawan. "What happened?"

Kix grimaced. "The Commander got shot in the arm - just a graze, but - "

"What if she - what if she was hurt worse?"

Obi-Wan turned his attention to his padawan - always his padawan - and raised his eyebrows gently. "It's just a graze."

Anakin groaned, burying his head in his hands. His breath was still shaking and a sniff was barely heard.

Obi-Wan gestured to the medic to leave, knowing he could handle this. _Hopefully._ Their mutual padawan had never been in the equation during the last panic attacks.

He made himself comfortable on the mat covered floor, looking Anakin over. "Want help being grounded? Or some anti-anxiety - "

"No!" Anakin dropped his arms to his lap, titling his head back on the wall. "No... just...sit here...I... overreacted."

"I threatened to leave the Order when your appendix ruptured and the Healers wouldn't let me see you for a few hours after surgery."

Anakin's lips twitched. "...I remember."

"You're not overreacting."

Anakin sighed, dragging a hand through his hair. "... she's my responsibility. What if...what if she dies one of these times? It hits her heart and not her arm?"

Obi-Wan frowned, wondering why this was suddenly a larger fear and -

"I was only told she was shot, Master." Anakin's lips quivered. "I didn't know anything else."

Obi-Wan scooted closer to his padawan, resting side by side while both their fears calmed down and they could see their mutual padawan when she was released from the inner workings of the medical tent.

* * *

_Author's note: another thing I tossed on Tumblr awhile ago and I needed to share this here. Enjoy!_

_ii Digestive Reader ii_


	5. Mando'a Sign Language

Mando'a Sign Language

* * *

Here is the thing about the Coronet. It's loud, and everything vibrates _so much. _So much she can feel it and it makes her teeth ache and she can't tell if anyone is behind her or talking to her.

So after the first day of traveling from Kalelava to Coruscant, with four more days of travel, she takes to being escorted solely by her guard or Obi-Wan.

Or…mostly Obi-Wan, letting him sign when needed, or just to be a presence around a bunch of Senators and staff that didn't know much about her disability.

She knew it would be challenging, on this ship, but she hadn't expected...tonight. It was supposed to be a private meal in her chambers (what was the point of pretending they weren't in a relationship?) when Commander Cody needed to talk to her Jedi lover.

It was a rather dull conversation, and she tuned what she could hear through her hearing aids out while they spoke. That was a benefit of having very little hearing - it was easy to shut off her hearing aids and ignore the Galaxy if she absolutely wanted too.

A nudge brought her back to reality, and she swallowed the rice she had been chewing to glance at Obi-Wan.

"Satine." Obi-Wan signed her name while speaking - which was the Mando'a sign for a lily - then gestured to Cody. "The clones were taught Mando'a sign language as part of their curriculum."

Satine looked at the commander once her Jedi was done signing, feeling her face light up. She ignored the prickle of annoyance at having to look at the face of Jango Fett. "Really?" she asked, using her pointer finger in a quick sweeping motion and pressing it against her lips briefly.

Cody nodded, putting the datapad on the table. "It was easy to learn," he signed.

"I learned as a teenager," she pointed to her ears before miming a bomb going off. "Eardrums ruptured."

Cody snorted, earning himself an indignant look. He held up a hand, returning to speaking. "Your sign for bomb - it's ours for - ah - bad bodily functions."

Satine couldn't help herself - she laughed, a sound that was a little too sharp and braying.

* * *

_Author's note: some more disability in these trying times_

_Thank you too rainingsun2811 for further inspiring the idea of Satine being deaf._


End file.
